DE3881690T2 - Method for controlling two connected means of transport and a machine controlled in this way, in particular a personal automated teller machine. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for determining and adaptively controlling the optimal time for the start of a second transport means after a first transport means, whereby both interacting transport means have different speeds, so that the front edges of both transported objects reach a certain end position after a certain length of common path in the transport path, whereby the transported objects and the paths of their transport means run into each other at a certain angle and this angle is preferably up to 90º. The invention also relates to a personal ATM which is controlled by the method according to the invention.

European patent specification 0 036 266 B1 describes a machine for dispensing banknotes with a transfer device for the receipt of the dispensed banknotes. Banknotes are transported from a first source to an output lifting device using a first transport means. The printed receipt, which documents the transfer of the dispensed banknotes, is transported by the printer via a second transport path and then transferred to the back of the already stacked bundle of banknotes in the same lifting device. When both banknotes and receipt have accumulated on the lifting device, both are transported through an output slot of the machine. There, the customer can take the banknotes together with the printed receipt.

In this well-known device for dispensing banknotes, the banknotes and the receipt leave the machine simultaneously through one and the same slot. Nevertheless, they are bundled in the machine in a way that requires the collection of money and receipt to be carried out outside a safe. Very often a safe is required to store the money, and only when the money has been collected in the correct and required amount is this bundle of banknotes dispensed through a slot in the safe. Such a method of dispensing money from a safe-protected area is not possible with the machine cited.

British patent application GB 2 141 407 A describes an ATM in which one or more banknote stores and a receipt store are arranged in a stack. The lowest stacking position or, in other words, the last position in the transport path is intended for the receipt store. During the dispensing of banknotes from the various stores to the dispensing opening, a receipt is printed and fed into the same transport path after the last dispensed banknote in order to exit through the same opening. It is not possible for the receipt and banknotes to leave the slot or dispensing opening of the ATM at the same time with this machine.

The IBM 4731 personal bank machine offers the possibility of issuing banknotes, issuing bank statements and issuing bank statements together with banknotes. The banknotes are stored in cartridges inside a safe and are arranged inside the safe in the bundle to be issued to the customer. Only when the bundle contains the right number of banknotes, these are placed on a lifting device to be issued through a slot inside the safe. On the other hand, a printer is provided to print the slip, to print one or more statements, to collect them and to send them together with the banknote bundle simultaneously through a single output opening. There the customer grasps the bundle of banknotes together with the statement. The bundle of banknotes is transported through the opening by means of a so-called front drive, which forms a first transport means. The statement or several statements also collected in a bundle are supplied by a printer and collected at a position designated for output of the statement. They are transported out to the opening by a second transport means. Both transport means meet at the output opening at a certain angle of less than 90º. For further details, reference is made to the "IBM 4731 Personal Banking Machine General Information Manual", Form GA 19-5346-1, especially Chapter 2, and to the "IBM 4731 Personal Banking Machine Operators Guide", Form GA 19-5357-1, Chapter 2. These manuals are incorporated herein by reference.

As already stated, in the IBM 4731 personal teller machine, one or more statements and bundles of banknotes are dispensed through a common opening or dispensing slot and offered to the customer. The statement and bundle of banknotes come together at the dispensing opening when transported by different, independent units. Thus, the statement from the printer is transported at a relatively low speed of, for example, 70 mm/s. At the same time, the bundle of banknotes is transported by the front drive; a pair of belts, which clamp the bundle in themselves, transports the bundle of banknotes to the dispensing slot at a relatively high speed of approximately 300 mm/s.

When the bundle of banknotes is brought together with the drawer or drawers, the following problems arise due to the different speeds:

The fast bundle of banknotes pulls the statement too far. This makes a predictable end position of the statement impossible. However, this predictable end position of the statement is an absolute must. If the customer forgets to open the statement or the To remove a bundle of banknotes, the drawer and the bundle of banknotes are withdrawn after a certain period of time and placed in different containers. To do this, the machine must detect that the drawer has not been removed. If the drawer is pulled too far out of the dispensing opening by the moving bundle of banknotes, the machine registers that the drawer has been removed by the customer. In reality, the drawer could still be inside the opening. This causes difficulties and causes the machine to malfunction.

Several circumstances contribute to this problem. They are based on the fact that the speed of the banknote bundle is much higher than that of the pull-out. Furthermore, the banknote bundle and the pull-out are not ejected through the slot of the ejection opening in parallel to each other, but they come together at a certain angle. Also, the slot of the ejection opening is relatively narrow, which specifically means that the pull-out is pulled out more strongly when the banknote bundle appears. There is also a relatively high coefficient of friction between the banknote and the pull-out, and it must also be noted that the pull-out is not retained within the printer or in the ejection mechanism. In order to avoid the pull-out of the pull-out, all of these circumstances would have to be improved. This would mean redesign and design changes, both of which involve considerable costs and time.

One possible solution would probably be to delay the transport of the sheet to the slot of the dispensing opening so long that it is dispensed through the slot after the bundle of banknotes has already been dispensed. In reality, however, it is impossible to push the thin sheet or bundle of sheets through the slot later, ie after the bundle of banknotes has already been pushed through the slot, especially since the slot is very narrow and the bundle of banknotes spreads out outside the dispensing opening and thus becomes thicker and in this way the slot is actually blocked. Such an operation would lead to a blockage and a jam at the dispensing opening.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages and to provide a method for determining the optimal time at which two transported objects should come into frictional contact with each other when they are discharged from two transport means with different transport directions and with different transport speeds, so that both transported objects reach a certain fixed end position.

It is also an object of the present invention to apply this method adaptively to each individual case of the issue of the objects.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a personal banking machine with such a control that banknotes to be dispensed from one source and statements from a second source are dispensed simultaneously through a common dispensing opening so that both reach a predetermined end position and no blockage of the opening or jamming in the immediate vicinity of the opening or malfunction of the personal banking machine occurs.

These and other objects and features not mentioned are advantageously achieved by method claim 1 as well as by device claim 7 and its various suitably assigned subclaims. The method according to the present invention advantageously provides the optimum time for bringing the leading edges of the statement and the banknote together so that both reach their final position predetermined for optimum operational function of the ATM on their final path through the opening. Since the method is adaptive, changes in the ATM parameters, e.g. B. a slowdown of the motors or other factors, the functioning of the machine is not detrimental.

The adaptive control method according to the present invention can preferably be implemented in microcode. This has the advantage that it can be used in different machines with different transport means without the need to change the microcode. Thus, the method of the invention can be used in a very flexible manner.

The method of the present invention and a personal banking machine using this method are described in further details in connection with a preferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the drawings mentioned below:

Fig. 1 shows in principle the output opening together with a banknote bundle and an extract, which come together from different transport paths at an angle α;

Fig. 2 shows schematically the two transport paths that come together at the common dispensing opening, and also the safe in which money is bundled and then transported to the dispensing opening by a front drive;

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the method according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the procedure for calculating PULL DELAY for the next combined output.

The area behind the dispensing opening 1 is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The dispensing opening 1 is essentially formed by two wall elements 2 and 3 above and below a movable Flap 4 is formed. Flap 4 can be moved in the direction of the double arrow 5 either to the open position as shown in Fig. 1 or to the closed position where flap 4 is turned to the right in Fig. 1 and closes the dispensing slot 6. The dispensing slot 6 is essentially formed by the right end of flap 4 and from wall element 2 to the left side, visible in Fig. 1, and from the left side of wall element 3 to the right side of slot 6. Inside slot 6 is shown a bundle of banknotes 7, hereinafter simply called money 7. Furthermore, a drawer 8 is shown in slot 6. It could be that several drawers are present, but hereinafter this is only spoken of in the singular and referred to as 8. Money 7 is transported according to arrow 9 by a first transport means 10, called front drive, which is only shown schematically in Fig. 1. Extract 8 is transported by a second transport means 11 in the direction of arrow 12 towards slot 6 of the dispensing opening 1. The main directions of the first transport means 10 and the second transport means 11, respectively, indicated by arrows 9 and 12, are inclined to each other by the angle α. This angle α is less than 90º. The transport paths converge within the area of slot 6 of the dispensing opening 1. Extract 8 and money 7 touch each other within slot 6 and change their previously straight direction of movement in a curved manner.

A sensor 13 is mounted in the transport path of the first transport means 10, which is used to sense the end position and the presence of money 7 in the starting position. Furthermore, a sensor 14 is mounted in the transport path of the second transport means 11 for sensing the predetermined end position of the pull-out 8 within the exit slot 6 of the dispensing opening 1.

Fig. 2 shows, in addition to the opening area as shown in Fig. 1, further details of the first transport means 10 dispensing the money as well as the money source.

The money is stored in a safe 20. By means not shown in further detail, it is collected as a bundle 21 behind a hook-like element 22 of a lifting device 23. The lifting device 23 moves the hook-like element 22 attached to belts 24 up and down according to the double arrow 25. When the hook-like element 22 with bundle 21 is in the upper position of the lifting device 23, the bundle is taken over by two transport rollers 26 and transported further to a transport device 27. This transport device 27 formed by belts 28 transports the bundle 21 further upwards and hands it over to the first transport means 10. The first transport means 10 is essentially formed by two belts 29 and 30 guided over several rollers, which guide the bundle 21 between them according to arrow 9 up to the slot 6 of the dispensing opening 1.

In further detail, Fig. 2 shows a second transport means 11 which guides the drawer 8 to slot 6 of the dispensing opening 1. There, a drawer 8 rests on a hook-like element 15. When the second transport means 11 rotates clockwise, as shown in Fig. 2, the drawer 8, which rests on the hook-like element 15, is transported in the direction of arrow 12 towards slot 6 of the dispensing opening 1.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the distance over which the bundle 21 of money 7 must be transported is much longer than that over which the extract 8 from the printer 2 (not shown) must be transported, both towards slot 6. This path length varies depending on different machine designs and different wall thicknesses of the safe 20. Therefore, a higher speed is selected for the speed Vc of the front drive 10, which forms the first transport means, and also for the speeds of the transport means 27 and lifting device 23 than for the speed Vs of the extract. The actual value in a practical example is 300 mm/s for Vc and 70 mm/s for Vs. It has been found that for an optimal output of both money 7 and drawer 8, the front edge 16 of drawer 8 must meet the money 7 at a time when the first transport means 10 is still moving the money 7 upwards towards the corresponding end position of money 7 in the direction of arrow 9. Then both transport means 10 and 11, which have different speeds Vc and Vs, converge. Both transport means 10 and 11 are then stopped at the same or different times, depending on the different end positions of these transport means.

The adaptive control method of the invention is described in connection with the flow chart shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The optimal time at which the drawer 8 and money 7 touch in the slot 6 of the dispensing opening 1 is reached when money 7 helps to pull the drawer 8 out of the slot. On the other hand, the drawer 8 must not be pulled out beyond the predetermined end position. This means that the path still to be covered from the drawer to the end position when money 7 and drawer 8 touch must not be shorter than the path still to be covered by money 7 when transported to its end position. This method also takes into account the different transport speeds Vc and Vs, the different lengths of the two paths and the lengths of the objects being transported.

The adaptive control is characterized in that first the first transport means 10, ie front drive and lifting device 23 together with transport means 27, is started, ie the transport means with the longer transport time is started first. Then, after a predetermined delay time PULL-OUT DELAY, the second transport means 11 is started, since the transport of the pull-out to the exit requires the shorter transport time. The time at which money 7 has reached the end position and the time at which the pull-out has reached its corresponding end position are registered. From the differences between the times at which money 7 and pull-out 8 reach their respective end positions, a new predetermined Delay time STATEMENT DELAY is calculated. This new STATEMENT DELAY is then used as the predetermined delay time for the next combined dispensing of Statement 8 and Cash 7. This routine is repeated for each transport operation that uses both transports.

The program, written as microcode, uses the following main routines shown in Fig. 3. In block 31, the program asks whether this is the first combined dispensing at this machine. If this is the case, ie the question was answered in the affirmative, a default value of PAYMENT START DELAY is adopted for the PAYMENT DELAY. From block 32, the program continues to block 33. On the other hand, if the question in block 31 was answered in the negative, ie it was not the first combined dispensing at this machine, the program also continues to block 33. In block 33, the start of the cash dispensing is then initiated. This means that the lifting device 23 and the front drive 10 (and also the transport means 27) are started, as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time, the system timer is started with the PAYMENT DELAY time. In the next block 34, a query is made as to whether the PAYMENT DELAY time has elapsed. If this is not the case, the program goes back to the beginning of block 34 and runs in a loop. When block 34 reports that the PAYMENT DELAY time has elapsed, the program goes to block 35 and begins dispensing the statement. This means that the second transport means 11, which transports the statement 8 out of the machine, now begins to move in the direction of arrow 12. Next, block 36 checks whether money 7 has just stopped at opening 1. If the answer is yes, this is the case and the time is stored and forms the MONEY DISTRIBUTION TIME. This takes place in block 37. If this happens in block 37, the program continues to block 38. If the answer in block 36 is no, i.e. the money has not just stopped at the opening, the program goes directly to block 38, where it checks whether the statement has just stopped at opening 1. If this is not the case, the program runs to block 39 and asks whether the combined output is complete. If not, the program returns to the beginning of block 36. On the other hand, if in block 38 the drawer just stopped at the opening and the question is answered in the affirmative, then the time is stored and forms the DRAWER OUTPUT TIME. This is done according to block 40. From block 40 the program runs to the beginning of block 39. If in block 39 the question whether the combined output is complete is answered in the affirmative, the program runs to the calculation routine for the DRAWER DELAY of the next combined output operation. This routine is shown in the flow chart of Fig. 4.

Block 41 asks whether the sum of the MONEY ISSUE TIME and an ISSUE DIFFERENCE is greater than the STATEMENT ISSUE TIME determined in block 40. If this is the case, STATEMENT DELAY is incremented as shown in block 42. If this is not the case, block 43 asks whether the sum of the MONEY ISSUE TIME and ISSUE DIFFERENCE is less than the STATEMENT ISSUE TIME. If this is the case, then block 44 decrements the STATEMENT DELAY. If the question in block 43 is answered in the negative, both come to an end point.

The newly calculated PULL-OUT DELAY is then used in the routine according to Fig. 3, particularly as set forth in block 33. When the system timer is started on a new output, this new, adaptively corrected PULL-OUT DELAY is then used. In this way, during operation, the time delay after which the second transport means 11 is started to transport the pull-out to the opening is constantly monitored.

By constantly monitoring and, if necessary, recalculating the value of STATEMENT DELAY, as well as by using it as a default value at the beginning of a new start of the same machine, an optimal time for bringing together statement 8 and money 7 is specified and secured.

As already described particularly in connection with Figs. 3 and 4, the sequence shown above is preferably repeated each time cash 7 and statement 8 are issued to the customer in combination.

In a practical operating system, the internal clock has 50 ms steps to increment the system clock. This 50 ms time interval is called a time slice.

Therefore, the variables mentioned above mean the following:

STATEMENT DELAY is the number of time slices after which the statement issuance is started after the start of cash dispensing. This variable is stored in non-volatile memory.

MONEY OUTPUT TIME is the time at which the money stops at the opening in the final end position.

OUTPUT DIFFERENCE is the time between the stop of money 7 and the stop of pullout 8 when the optimal meeting point is reached. This variable depends on the length of the pullout. In a practical example, the length of the pullout is given values of 101 mm and 106 mm. In this case, the same value of 2 time slices is used, since the difference in length is only 5 mm.

STATEMENT START DELAY is a fixed value that is used initially for the very first withdrawal of money and statement. It is stored and can later be replaced by the newly calculated STATEMENT DELAY value.

As shown in the flow charts, an implementation of the method according to the present invention can be carried out by microcode. This has the advantage of great flexibility, so that e.g. The same code can be used in the two machines IBM 4731 and IBM 4732, which have different front drives (first transport means 10). The only difference is that the value of EXTEND DELAY is different, so that the time for the start of the extract transport 11 is different.

The method according to the present invention and also the described personal cash dispenser with such an adaptive control offers many advantages. For example, machine-specific parameters such as the path length of the banknotes and the speed of the banknotes do not have to be determined at the beginning by measuring on each different machine. Furthermore, manufacturing tolerances are taken into account by the adaptive control and therefore exact mechanical adjustment is not required. Changes caused by wear and friction are also taken into account and therefore readjustment or replacement of parts is not required. Another great advantage is that cost-saving uncontrolled motors can be used to drive the various means of transport.

Claims (11)

1. Method for determining and adaptively controlling the optimal time for starting a second transport means (11), which determines a second transport path, after a first transport means (10), which determines a first transport path, wherein the two interacting transport means (10, 11) have different transport speeds (Vs, Vc) and both transport paths lead into a common exit path, so that the front edges of objects (7, 8) transported by the transport means (10, 11) reach a certain end position after a certain length of common path in the common exit path, and wherein the transported objects and the paths of their transport means run into one another at a certain angle (a), which is preferably up to 90º, characterized by the method steps: a) starting (33) the first means of transport (10) that has the longer transport time, b) starting (35) the second means of transport (11), which has the shorter transport time, after a previously determined delay time (EXTRACTION DELAY), c) recording (36,37) the time (MONEY ISSUE TIME) at which the object transported by the first means of transport (7) has reached its final position, d) detecting (38,40) the time (EXTRACT OUTPUT TIME) at which the object (8) transported by the second means of transport has reached its respective final position, and e) Calculating (41-44) a new predetermined delay time (EXTRACTION DELAY) from the time difference between the times according to points c) and d) above for starting the second means of transport in the next transport process. 2. Method according to claim 1, in which the calculation takes into account the lengths of both transport paths, the speeds of both means of transport, the lengths of the transported objects and an optimized timing of the collision of the objects. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, in which steps a) to e) from claim 1 are repeated for each transport or output process using both transport means. 4. A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a default value (EXTRACT START DELAY) is initially specified for the predetermined delay time. 5. Method according to claim 4, in which the standard value is a stored value, in particular stored in a non-volatile memory. 6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the calculation of the delay time according to step e) of claim 1 takes into account a time shift (OUTPUT DIFFERENCE) between reaching the end position of the first object (7) and the end position of the second object (8). 7. ATM for dispensing a valuable item such as a banknote (7) and for dispensing a statement (8) through one and the same dispensing opening (1,6) for essentially the same Time in the form of a bundle (7,21), wherein the valuable object is transported by a first transport means (10) from a first source (20) in a first transport path (9), wherein the extract (8) is transported by a second transport means (11) from a second source in a second transport path (12), wherein both transport paths (9,12) are inclined to one another at a certain angle (α) of preferably up to 90º, have different transport speeds (Vc,Vs) and different transport lengths and finally lead into a common output path, characterized in that a transport control with the following elements is present: a) means for recording (36,37) the time at which the valuable object reaches its final position at the exit, b) means for detecting (38,40) the time at which the drawer reaches its final position at the exit, c) Calculation means (41-44) for calculating the value of a delay time (PULL-OUT DELAY) for the start (35) of the second means of transport after the start (33) of the first means of transport from the difference between the above-mentioned times (MONEY ISSUE TIME, PULL-OUT ISSUE TIME), so that the valuable object (7) and the pull-out (8) reach their respective end positions. 8. ATM according to claim 7, in which the calculation takes into account the lengths of both transport paths, the speeds of both means of transport and the lengths of both transported objects as well as an optimized timing of the collision of the objects. 9. ATM according to claim 7 or 8, in which during the start-up phase of the machine a standard value for the delay time (STATEMENT START DELAY) is specified. 10. Automated teller machine according to claim 8, 9 or 10, in which each newly calculated value for the delay time is used in the next transport operation. 11. ATM according to one of claims 7 to 10, in which in the calculation of the value of the delay time, a time shift (DISPENSATION DIFFERENCE) between the times at which the first arriving valuable item and the statement reach their respective end positions in the area of the dispensing opening is included.